Mount Soputan volcano in C. Indonesia erupts, spewing ashes up to 7.5 km high

JAKARTA - Mount Soputan volcano in North Sulawesi province of Central Indonesia erupted on Sunday, spewing a column of ashes by up to 7.5 km to the sky, a disaster agency official said.

The volcano erupted twice, including that at 8:57 am local time with a column of ashes spread to the air by up to 7.5 km and another one at 7:43 am local time, spewing ashes 7 km high to the sky, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Xinhua in a text message.

The ashes were spread toward south west and south of the crater and tremors jolted for 30 minutes, the spokesman said.

"In anticipating the hot ash from sliding into the flank of the volcano and flows of cool lava, the community is prohibited from having activities at the radius of 4 km from the crater, and for the area at southwest of the crater the no go-zone has been declared at 6.5 km," Sutopo said.

Should rains of ashes fall, the people are recommended to use masks to prevent from respiratory problems, he added.

Mount Soputan is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia which lies on a vulnerable quake-hit zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire."